Denton City Council gave staff the green light to plan the relocation of the Denton Senior Center and the South Branch Library to significantly larger sites during the Oct. 27 work session.

What’s happening? Under the preliminary work session agreement, staff will evaluate building the new senior center and new library on city-owned properties with a $250,000 planning allocation.

The proposed site for the new Denton Senior Center is on a 16.2-acre plot near Mack Park, while the library would be on a 14.4-acre plot on Ryan Road.

The funding for both projects come from the voter-approved 2023 bond and totals $96.5 million.

A closer look: Under the 2023 bond package, the senior center was allocated $47 million under Proposition F and $49.5 million was budgeted under Proposition G for the South Branch Library, per city documents.

The council chose to construct new, separate facilities so staff can tailor the buildings and outdoor spaces.

School of Rock, a music school with over 40 locations in Texas, will open a location in Denton early next year.

The details: Instructors with the School of Rock will teach private music lessons on piano, guitar, bass, drums and voice, according to the company's website.

The school also offers eight programs across age ranges and skill levels for students to take lessons, be a part of a band and, in some cases, perform and record. 

What’s next: Limited pre-opening perks and discounted rates are available now for founding members, School of Rock's website states.

• 1800 Brinker Road, Ste. 260, Denton

Educators, public officials and graduates from across the state gathered in Austin on Oct. 27 to celebrate the 15th anniversary of Western Governors University in Texas. The online university offers certificates, bachelor's and master's degrees, which students can complete at their own pace.

About the organization: WGU was founded in 1997 by a bipartisan group of 19 governors in Western states to provide a more affordable and flexible option for higher education. In 2011, then-Gov. Rick Perry signed an executive order making Texas an official WGU affiliate.

Since 2011, WGU in Texas has reached the following milestones:

• 38,691 total graduates

• 45,545 degrees earned

• 24,087 students currently enrolled

Quote of note: "It was definitely one of those options that was super flexible, so that kind of fit my current schedule, especially since I work full-time," 2026 WGU graduate Jacob Gomez said. "It was super convenient for me."